Stanley Boim, his wife, and their son David moved to Israel from New York in 1985. In 1996, David Boim (17) was gunned down at a bus stop near Beit El, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, by two members of Izzedine al Qassam-the military wing of Hamas . Hamas, like any terrorist group, not only needs to raise money but also needs to launder the money so that it appears clean. Through shell companies and alleged charitable organizations around the world terrorist groups have been able to move large sums of money to finance their activities. The Boims filed a federal lawsuit seeking $600 million, alleging that the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, the Islamic Association for Palestine, and the Qurantic Literacy Institute raised and laundered money that helped to finance Hamas. On December 8, 2004 a federal jury hearing the case awarded the Boims $52 million. Under federal law treble damages (triple damages) are awarded to punish those culpable, and so the US Magistrate ordered the three Islamic groups to pay $156 million to the Boims. This is the first case where jurors awarded damages from US-based charitable organizations that provided financing for Hamas.

Hamas has been raising and laundering money in the United States for the last 20 years. Hamas has set up both legitimate and front businesses to enable the movement of money. The group has received funds from expatriates from the Palestinian Territories, Iran , Saudi Arabia , and others. These front organizations enable Hamas not only to conduct fundraising but also serve as a propaganda tool to further Hamas? goals. The Quranic Literacy Institute of Oak Lawn, Illinois served as one money laundering clearinghouse for Hamas in the United States. The Institute translates Islamic texts into English.

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